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Using several rounds of the Afrobarometer surveys, we examine whether a person’s perception of government fairness depends on whether he shares the same ethnicity as the country’s leader. We also compare results based on this subjective measure of unfairness from those that consider whether various public amenities (like a school or clinic) are more likely to be present for those with the same ethnicity as the leader. We find that perceptions of unfair treatment are held more often by those of differing ethnicity as the leader. These findings weaken for democracies but not over time where they may even have intensified during Africa’s slower growth after 2010. Finally, differences across ethnicity in perceptions of unfairness are stronger than differences arising from the presence of amenities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article considers the effects upon human capital in a host country when foreign universities open branches within this country. We create a model where aspiring students differ according to inherent ability and choose endogenously how much time to devote to preparing to win admittance to a university. Universities can either be domestic or foreign, and payoffs for the student differ between them. The presence of these foreign universities can potentially increase effort--and so human capital--by providing more incentive to study. However, they can also lead to brain drain as students could be more likely to emigrate upon graduation relative to those who attend a domestic university. We apply this model to China and use parameter values in simulations to assess to what extent inflow of foreign universities provide benefits to China. (JEL D82, 123. 125), I. INTRODUCTION Traditionally, cross-border consumption of education has consisted of students studying abroad, going to the site of the education provider. More recently, online courses have allowed students to consume [...]

This paper empirically examines associations between female labor force participation (FLFP) and democracy. Using a cross-country, time series (1980-2005) data set, we find evidence that FLFP is lower in democracies. One possible explanation is that dictators promote FLFP above what traditional norms would dictate and so a greater freedom to follow custom lowers FLFP. However, we also find that the ratio of FLFP to male labor force participation (MLFP) is similar under both types of regimes and that MLFP is also lower in democracies. This outcome casts doubt on the aforementioned explanation. Instead, one possibility is that both men and women voluntarily withdraw from the labor force with greater freedoms.

Examines whether devoting more resources to education can positively affect the distribution of income within a country. Finds that public-education expenditures appear to be associated with a subsequent decrease in the level of income inequality. Finding is robust to the inclusion of various control variables and appears to be larger in high-income nations. (Contains 30 references.) (Author/PKP)

Empirical results, which examine the impact of foreign direct investment on economic growth and income inequality in developing countries, during 1970 and 1989, are presented.

This paper presents research evidence to show that countries with high enrolment in colleges and universities have seen a decrease in the disparity of high and low income earners.

A game theoretic model in which a portion of production is seized from entrepreneurs within a rent seeking environment is presented.

Recent studies have reported a negative association between income inequality and economic growth. If true, what accounts for this finding? What are possible transition mechanisms that might link the two? This paper explores one such mechanism. Income inequality raises expenditures for public education as a fraction of gross domestic product (GDP). Although public education expenditures are positively associated with future economic growth, the contemporaneous effect upon growth is negative. Given this cost upon current growth, these findings may help to explain the lack of a large, positive effect from the growth of human capital upon economic growth as reported in the literature.

Sources of total factor productivity (TFP) growth for the period 1977-2000 in the 48 states of the continental US are determined using the stochastic frontier production model. Technological progress is found to be behind the majority of TFP growth while cross-state differences are due to differences in efficiency change.

Despite the abundant literature on how crime evolves over the business cycle, no consensus has arisen whether crime increases or decreases during recessions. The literature provides both positive and negative associations between the crime rate and the unemployment rate, a commonly used proxy for the business cycle. This study revisits this issue and uses county-level data from 1990 to 2013. It allows for differences as to how unemployment relates to both property crime and violent crime depending on the size of the counties. We find evidence of a positive association between unemployment and property crime that strengthens with county size. The results show the same pattern for violent crime but are statistically weaker. Our findings suggest that the positive association between property crime and unemployment that others have found is largely driven by more populous areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]